As part of our work with the Green Lane Association the management team at Salisbury Plain the 45,000 acre site in Wiltshire that the army use for training, asked if we would be up for making a short film for them about the right way to behave on the site in motorised vehicles.
SPTA, as those in the know call it, is an extraordinary place – vast and unkempt but dissected by hundreds of miles off lanes and tracks that the Army graciously allow 4×4 and bikers to enjoy driving. It’s also the place where our very own Matt spent most of May 2019 covered in fake blood as an extra in the film 1918, some of the set of which can still be seen. It’s not all peaches and cream on SPTA however and there is a small element of 4×4 drivers intend of going out of bounds and disobeying the rules, often to their own and others endangerment.
We planned and then created a short film showing how the various authorities on site work together to keep the space safe and enjoyable for all.
The highlight for us was 3 hours with a AS-90 at our disposal with which to film whatever we needed. 45 tons of gun bombing past us at 50mph is a thrill not easily forgotten.
I can recommend a visit to the Plain – by foot or vehicle there will always be something impressive to see and hear.